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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24010276">Trust</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparklingDragonTears/pseuds/SparklingDragonTears'>SparklingDragonTears</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Partners [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And also a killer, Corporal Punishment, Drug Use, Gang Violence, Gen, Good Guy Miko, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Minor Violence, Pre-Slash, Recreational Drug Use, Rude is a softie, ShinRa Mafia, Threats of Violence, Turks (Compilation of FFVII), Underage Drug Use</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:09:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24010276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparklingDragonTears/pseuds/SparklingDragonTears</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rude took Reno out of the training program after the events of his sentencing, electing to train him himself.<br/>He forgets a few key elements, like <i>wait for your damned partner.</i></p>
<p>What happened after the first kill when Reno disappeared and Rude spends days looking for him.</p>
<p>Set at the beginning of Red Ch. 3, Electric.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Reno &amp; Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Reno/Rude (Compilation of FFVII)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Partners [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Lost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The last one I made during my manic creation of this mini-universe.<br/>If I write more, you'll all be the first to know.<br/>Thank you to everyone on the ride with me.<br/>&lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><i>Fuck.</i> He shouldn’t have taken his eye off him. Reno was too new, too fresh, still riding the high of healing spells for Shiva’s sake. </p><p>“<i>Go,</i>” Miko growled over the PHS, furious, with a hint of terrified that only Rude would pick up. “<i>Find him before Tseng does or you won’t have skin left on your ass.</i>”</p><p>His old partner hung up on him and Rude ran a frustrated hand over his bald head, breathing shakily. Where the fuck had the kid gone? He was there one moment, staring at the body at his feet, nightstick dripping with wet blood. Rude had looked away only long enough to shove this criminal bastard into the hands of the waiting SOLIDERS when the trucks arrived. When he went to retrieve his partner, he was gone. </p><p>He should have known better. He supposed if the kid had stayed in the training program, he might have more discipline, might have learnt to <i>wait for your damned partner</i> before taking off into the night. Rude supposed it was his fault for taking Reno too early, for teaching him one-on-one instead of with a group of fighters. </p><p>But what else was he supposed to do? The kid was infuriating. Everyone could see the little punk got nothing from sitting in a classroom. After <i>that night</i>, Rude himself had torn Reno away and decided to personally teach him. He showed the kid how to spell cast, how to heal, how to bring that stick in for a clean kill, but <i>damnit</i>, he should have taught him basic fucking protocol.</p><p>It was his own damn fault.</p><p>Rude ran down the street in the direction a SOLDIER had seen the redhead disappear. With every block, he knew the kid was further from his reach. By the time Miko’s car pulled up beside him, he had no idea where he was, other than about three miles from where he’d started, his feet rubbing raw in the fucking dress shoes.</p><p>“Didn’t track him, huh?” Miko called out the rolled down window. Rude rubbed his hands over his head roughly. Of course not, he hated the tracker implanted in his own neck, the awareness of it worse than the process to put it there. “Get in.”</p><p>Rude climbed in the passenger side without argument, immediately bringing his head down to his knees and groaning in frustration. It was rare anyone saw him like this, and Miko only raised an eyebrow at him.</p><p>“That worried about him?” He asked, something hidden under his question.</p><p>Sighing long and hard, Rude looked out the window, searching, leaning his face against the glass.</p><p>“I’m an idiot.“ He muttered. “First kill, I should have been watching him.”</p><p>“Might not be,” Miko pointed out unhelpfully. Rude glared at him sideways.</p><p>They were silent for a moment, Rude’s eyes darting over the alleyways as they passed by, hoping to catch a glimpse of red.</p><p>“You know, there’s a reason for protocol.” Miko admonished, making Rude feel even worse. “That chip in your skin saved your life a few times. You ought to give him the same courtesy.”</p><p>Rude felt the tension twisting in his neck, muscles tight, lungs taking in only the minimum required for every breath. He bounced his leg and ground his teeth. If the kid got picked up by one of that criminal’s lackeys, he could be dead the next time he saw him. </p><p>And it would all be his fault.</p><p>His skin was starting to crawl, the need for reprimand, for <i>punishment</i>, clawing at him from the inside. If Red was hurt, he had not only failed as a mentor, but as a Turk, as a partner.</p><p>“Look,” Miko’s voice had gone stern and it was only a minor relief to him. “It’s clear that you know him better than anyone here. You’re the number one field agent and there’s a reason you’re his partner. Get your head out of your ass and act like it.”</p><p>Rude swallowed, clenching his fists hard. He nodded. Miko was right. He was almost always right. </p><p>“Why’d you stop watching him?” Miko demanded. Rude knew he was not looking for apology, but an answer.</p><p>“He had the bodyguard, I went for the boss.” Rude answered after a moment, trying to decide exactly why he’d let him go.</p><p>“You trusted him.” Miko clarified. Rude nodded slowly. “You weren’t paired by mistake.”</p><p>Rude knew it was true. He’d seen the fire in Reno’s eyes, knew his life was safe with the kid at his back. He’d been able to turn without a thought, not a single worry Reno would be able to finish the job.</p><p>He was right, of course. He just hadn’t counted on the aftermath.</p><p>He’d seen the excess of damage to the bodyguard’s skull. He remembered the thousand-yard stare as the kid watched him bleed out, Reno's entire body twitching with heaving breaths.</p><p>“Ah, shit.” Rude groaned again, pinching the bridge of his nose, a habit he’d picked up from their boss too long ago. “I know where he went.”</p><p>Miko nodded shortly and pulled off the road, already somehow in front of his own apartment complex without Rude having noticed. Rude glanced over just as the keys came flying his direction. He grabbed them midair and frowned in question.</p><p>“Go get ‘im.” Miko answered, already climbing out of the car.</p><p>“Wait,” Rude called, unbuckling and leaning to see Miko’s face peeking back in the open door. Rude sighed, afraid for the answer because of how badly he’d messed this up, but forced himself to ask, “You or Tseng this time?”</p><p>Miko regarded him quietly a moment, which only served to make Rude’s heart hammer. The bruises from last week when Reno had blown up a small car by mistake had just finished healing.</p><p>“Neither.” He finally answered, shocking Rude silent. “This kid made you different. It’s good to see you come alive again, after all these years. Don’t lose it.”</p><p>Rude was dumbfounded. He’d never, <i>not once</i> since the day he'd signed the papers, gotten away without physical reminder of whatever he’d fucked up. He nodded dumbly, afraid his tongue would fail him if he tried to reply.</p><p>“Bring him back, get him a chip, and clean up whatever mess he makes in the meantime.” Miko instructed, staring Rude dead in the eye. </p><p>Rude nodded, climbed out to take the driver’s seat, and watched Miko leave up the walkway. Just as he was crawling into the car again, Miko turned over his shoulder and called out to him.</p><p>“But tighten the fuck up! Get your head out of the clouds.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rude hunts down his new partner and makes some realizations along the way.</p>
<p>Violence and drug aftermath warning.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love Miko. I want to write epics about him and Rude. <br/>But I probably won't. <br/>Maybe some day.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rude found his way down to the Sector 4 Slums, a place he’d hoped never to return to. He drove around the dirt roads aimlessly in the dark. Times like these, he resented that ShinRa had forced entire cities under the shadow of metal. He tried to find his way back toward the street he’d first found Reno, or rather, where Reno had found him. He figured that was as good a place as any to start.</p>
<p>He recognized one particular shabby building with a green piecemeal roof glowing from orange lights and pulled over. Climbing out, he looked around, trying to find anyone who looked vaguely like the kid’s old crowd. This area was quiet, not much of a night town, based on the humming lights and empty streets. So when Rude heard a sudden, panicked call for help, he immediately turned to seek it out.</p>
<p>The cynical part inside him dragged his feet like a child, insisting it wasn’t his business, that it wasn’t his job to get involved, that he had more important shit to deal with. Of course, the part of him that worried for Reno was much more stubborn and forced him down the road toward the yells, <i>just in case</i>.</p>
<p>He rounded a corned and his Turk training instantly kicked in. A young girl, maybe 13 or 14, crouched on the ground over a man who was roughly Rude’s age. His head had a nasty divot on the side and blood streaked over his face onto the ground beneath him. The girl was shaking so hard that he could see it in the dark. Rude was on the ground in an instant, gently moving the girl back a few feet and shushing her as lightly as he could. One hand already had his PHS out and dialing HQ.</p>
<p>He recognized the heavy gash across the man’s face, bruised and swollen and a perfect straight line.</p>
<p>“I need cleanup, Sector 4, Groundside.” He winced a little at the tiny static spark at the base of his skull that meant they had sent out a tracking signal. “One, male, blunt force trauma.” He glanced to the man’s chest, but already knew what he’d find. “Deceased. One, female, adolescent, present.”</p>
<p>Rude looked over the body on the ground, letting the girl fall into his chest and holding her tightly as she sobbed. The kid had a similar outfit to the first time Rude had seen Reno. Scrapped clothes and heavy metal chains and bangles hung off the thin frame. He was ready to look away and compartmentalize when he caught the scratch tattoo on the man’s bicep. A dark-colored cross with heavy straight lines inside a thick black circle lay against the pale skin and Rude’s heart dropped into his stomach.</p>
<p>“Make it fast.” He snapped into his phone before switching it off and shoving it in his pocket.</p>
<p>Luckily, his rank meant that when he said make it fast, they fucking made it fast. The girl was being pulled from his arms by some SOLDIER within ten minutes. Rude didn’t care how they made it here, or how they were going to clean it up. He knew he had to find Red now, before the streets were lined with dead men bearing dark crosses.</p>
<p><i>Now</i>, turned out to be two days of hell for Rude. Everywhere he went he’d either just missed the kid or got stuck with another body. He was at, what, eight? Ten? The cleanup crew was starting to get pissed at him, not that they would say anything to a Turk, much less Rude himself. </p>
<p>But these two days changed something in him. Rude had been alone, talking and interrogating and asking questions, but <i>alone</i>. His partner was <i>missing</i>, and it was his fault. As bad as that was, it was nothing compared to the dawning realization that Rude needed Reno a hell of a lot more than Reno needed him. The two days served as a lesson, something brutal and jarring that made Rude want to fall to his knees more than once. </p>
<p>Another sick understanding crept through him as the days stretched on; Reno had <i>earned</i> his name. </p>
<p>Those tattoos were a trophy, a warning scarred into his flesh. Red was a damned predator and everyone on these streets knew it the second they saw his face. Every caved skull Rude found further cemented this fact.</p>
<p>He was exhausted of this, the terrified feeling clawing up his throat, threatening to strangle him. He was <i>so close</i> so many times, but he was always just a day, an hour, <i>ten minutes</i> behind. Rude thought he might be sick, the bodies were piling up, the same calling card of a broken face on each one. The cops knew who did it the moment they spotted the blue crosses. The SOLDIERS knew who did it every time Rude’s number called to them. Every damn person in Sector 4 knew who did it, but no one was willing to cross Red to give him up.</p>
<p>Rude was pretty fucking tired of the echoing whistles from the rooftops.</p>
<p>The Sun Lamps were dimming on the third evening, creating the illusion of nightfall when Rude finally snapped. He found his way into an alleyway full of 5 or 6 punk kids with red arches etched into their arms. He stormed right up to the nearest one and grabbed him by the collar before any of them could process that he was there.</p>
<p>“Tell me where the fuck he is.” Rude demanded, glasses a mirror over his eyes even in the dim light. The teenagers looked terrified. <i>Good</i>.</p>
<p>“Hey, man,” the kid gasped, trying and failing to pry Rude’s gloved hand away from near his throat. “Who the fuck’re-”</p>
<p>“<i>Red.</i> Where is he?” Rude snarled, lifting the kid off the ground. He was through playing games. His suit gave him away and every damn person in this shithole knew who he was looking for.</p>
<p>The other kids backed off, knowing better than to piss off an already angry Turk.</p>
<p>“Alright, alright!” He coughed, kicking helplessly in the air until Rude lowered him.</p>
<p>“Take me.” He demanded again, patience at its last end. The next kid who tried to shrug him off was about to look down the barrel of his gun.</p>
<p>“Yeah, we’re goin’.” The kid nodded furiously, already leading the way, ducking through a broken fence. </p>
<p>Rude narrowed his eyes and followed, ignoring the others gaping as he passed. The kid led him behind broken buildings to a rusted back door of a house with a bending roof. The kid wouldn’t go into the house, but knocked four times on the door before opening it.</p>
<p>“Probably in the back room,” he noted with a nod before turning and running back down where they’d come.</p>
<p>Rude drew his gun and stepped inside the dark house. He cleared the filthy kitchen quickly and made his way down a hallway with broken floor boards that squeaked under his feet. He heard movement in a doorway and held his gun approximately human chest height as a young woman with stringy hair and flickering, glowing eyes peeked out the door. She yelped and jumped back, clinging a stained sheet over her naked body. He pushed past her into the room, listening to her scramble away behind him. </p>
<p>He was frozen for a moment at the threshold, staring at the puddle of a human he saw melted into an old, sagging mattress. The room glowed flickering orange from outside the broken window, lighting Reno’s bright hair, greasy and fallen limp around his head. He lay completely naked, blood and bruises and scars stained over his skin from head to toe. His chest was covered in love bites and fingernail lines, rising and falling shallowly. Rude could smell vomit lingering somewhere in the room. </p>
<p>Stepping cautiously forward, Rude found himself stepping around discarded clothing and little glass jars, still half-full of Glow, used syringes scattered across the ground. As he drew close, Rude noticed that the nightstick was inches from the mattress, ready should Reno need it. He looked over the kid, feeling an overwhelming rush of relief and terror. The kid was twitching, even as he lay unconscious. His right arm was a disaster, tiny blood trails flecked from open wounds at his elbow and wrist. His muscles spasmed under his skin so violently that Rude was sure the kid’s heart wouldn’t take much more of this.</p>
<p>He crouched down to the ground, tucking his head to his chest and running his hands over his scalp. He banged the butt of his gun to his skull a few times, trying to collect himself before he lost it. Taking a few deep breaths, ignoring the stench of the sweat and blood, sex and sick, he shoved his glasses up and rubbed over his eyes. He sniffled back the tears threatening to break free.</p>
<p>He couldn’t be sure how long he sat there listening to his heartbeat and the rattled breathing of his partner.</p>
<p>Eventually, Rude sighed shakily and stood again, ignoring the stars dancing around the edges of his vision. He left his gun at the ready, pulling his PHS out with one hand and dialed the only person he thought he could handle hearing.</p>
<p>“<i>Got him?</i>” Miko answered immediately. Rude grunted an affirmative, still unable to trust his speech. “<i>Alive?</i>” </p>
<p>Rude heard the caution in his question.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” He breathed, knowing Miko was kind enough not to point out the crack in his voice. He heard the man sigh in relief.</p>
<p>“<i>I’ll send for you both.</i>”</p>
<p>Rude hung up, unable to reply. He shoved the phone away and rubbed at the back of his neck when the familiar spark shocked him lightly. He stared down at Reno, open and defenseless and completely out of his own fucking world. Rude thought helplessly that the kid could be killed right now and never see his attacker coming. </p>
<p>He nearly choked on the lump in his throat at the bitter realization that although Miko hadn’t meant it to be, it was more of a punishment that he wouldn’t bleed for this. </p>
<p>It could have been fifteen minutes or three hours. Rude had no concept of the passage of time from when he hung up until careful hands pulled him away as ShinRa medics flooded the room.</p>
<p>“Chip him while you have him,” Miko instructed strictly from somewhere behind Rude. The medics gave various affirmative answers. “Make sure he doesn’t die, but he comes down on his own.” </p>
<p>Rude didn’t even argue the command. He knew Miko was right, and he knew he was in no headspace to try and fix this. He was grateful for the man, who’d always known what he needed when he was lost. He let his former partner pull him into another room, one that thankfully had a door, and close them in with a small illusion of privacy.</p>
<p>“You look like hell.” Miko was already snapping a green materia into his wristband. He brought his hand up to Rude’s neck and clasped tightly, letting the healing spell wash over him. </p>
<p>Rude closed his eyes and relaxed for the first time in days, getting swept up in the healing high in a way he hadn’t in many years. When the glow faded, Miko pulled him close by the hand still on his neck. Rude let himself sink into the body holding him upright.</p>
<p>“You’re gonna debrief, eat, and sleep, in that order.” Miko told him. Of course he knew Rude hadn’t eaten more than the snacks in his car in days. He hadn’t had a full meal since before they’d left on mission three days ago.</p>
<p>“Shower?” He asked into the man’s shoulder. Miko chuckled lightly.</p>
<p>“Fine. Then sleep.”</p>
<p>They were quiet a moment before Rude pulled back, trying valiantly to stay on his feet now that the exhaustion was threatening to overtake him.</p>
<p>“Why’d you come?” He looked over his mentor, feeling severely inadequate in comparison. Miko ran a hand over Rude’s head and tugged his lapels straight.</p>
<p>“Think I don’t know you?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not about to let you debrief with some Level 1 agent so you can go home alone and beg Tseng to flay you.”</p>
<p>Rude’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t even made it that far in considering his next steps, but he knew Miko was absolutely right. He would have wound up pleading for it, if the agony already building in his chest was any indication. </p>
<p>All he could do was nod and let Miko steer him from the room with a reassuring, firm hold around his shoulders.</p>
<p>“Reno?” He asked as they headed toward the front door of the trashed house. </p>
<p>“If he were mine, I’d break his damn fingers with that nightstick so he couldn’t shoot up again.” Miko said with a shrug. Rude side-eyed him and he sighed. “Look, I don’t know what deal you made, but Tseng made it clear that only you decide what happens with him. After the last time, anyone who touches him gets an automatic referral to the board.”</p>
<p>Miko smirked a little and added, “Don’t tell the kid that though, it’ll go to his head.”</p>
<p>When Rude had no reply, Miko pushed him into the passenger seat of his vehicle and came around to climb in the driver’s side. They drove off toward the highway that turned Plateside.</p>
<p>“If you were looking for advice,” Miko started casually, both of them knowing that Rude would take whatever advice Miko gave him to heart regardless. “He’s going to get you killed if you don’t straighten him out. You don’t think clearly when you worry about him. Tell him there are no more chances. He has to figure his shit out, or leave.”</p>
<p>Rude nodded, considering what it might mean if Reno up and left. Maybe the kid belonged to this life, maybe he didn’t need to be monitored and controlled. Maybe he would do better on his own.</p>
<p>Even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie. If anything, Rude had made him more dangerous, a wild spark who now had the tools to set fire to the world if he was set free. Rude scrubbed at the blood on his gloves, not knowing who it had come from. </p>
<p>“He won’t leave.” Rude said, sure about this one thing. It might be a catastrophe of a process, but Reno would stick around.</p>
<p>“I know.” Miko agreed. “When he comes around, get him something to channel that anger.”</p>
<p>Rude ran his fingers over the knuckles of his gloves. It didn’t look like it, but they were heavy with steel inserts that made Rude’s already brutal fists into lethal weapons. This control had been offered to him after his first and only melt down. Miko had ordered him to wear them any time he left on assignment, and his cane made damn sure he didn’t forget. The weight gave him an anchor when he was floating, something to keep him from seeing red with the blood on his hands.</p>
<p>Whenever Reno came back to him, he’d find something for the kid. <i>They’d</i> figure it out, together.</p>
<p>“I know it won’t make a lick of difference to you, but as your former mentor, it’s my obligation to tell you…” Miko nudged him in the side, alerting Rude to the fact that he was beginning to drift into sleep. “If you two get involved, it’ll make your work life that much more difficult.” </p>
<p>“<i>…what?</i>” It took Rude a good minute to work out what the man was implying, and by then Miko’s smirk had twisted into a grin and Rude felt his face burning. </p>
<p>“<i>Oh, shove it.</i>” Rude grumbled, unable to even come up with a decent retort. He switched off his PHS and closed his eyes, leaning against the glass and steadfastly ignoring the chuckles beside him as they drove closer to home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Till next time,<br/>-J X</p></blockquote></div></div>
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